Seasoned, general estate planning guidance financial advisors in Beaufort, SC

Jonathon Wagoner is a Financial Advisor at Merrill Lynch Wealth Management. He partners with individuals and families to build clear and disciplined wealth strategies. His focus is on helping clients organize their financial lives, invest with intention, and stay on track through changing markets and life events. Jonathon's approach involves understanding clients' priorities and translating them into concrete plans. He manages investments and risk exposure to support clients' goals over time, covering areas such as portfolio construction, retirement planning, tax-aware strategies, and guidance around major financial decisions. He utilizes Merrill Lynch's research, planning tools, and investment platform to deliver resources within a personal, relationship-driven experience. Clients engage with him for proactive communication, clear explanations, and accountability to their plans. He holds the Accredited Wealth Management Advisor (AWMA), Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor (CRPC), and Personal Investment Advisor (PIA) designations. Jonathon earned a Bachelor's Degree from Arizona State University and a Master's Degree from Thunderbird School of Global Management.

Daniel Deverna is a financial advisor with Ameritas Advisory Services, LLC, holding a Series 63 designation and 26 years of industry experience. He has held roles at several firms, including Ameritas Life Insurance Corp and Creative Financial Partners, and has founded multiple financial businesses. Outside of advising, Deverna is an author writing a book for union workers about retirement planning and a speaker providing training and motivational presentations. Ameritas Advisory Services, LLC offers investment advisory and planning services to a diverse client base, including individuals, high-net-worth investors, retirement plans, charitable organizations, and businesses. The firm combines model portfolios, mutual funds, ETFs, and individual securities, utilizing various program platforms and third-party technology to tailor investment solutions.

Edward Taylor is a financial advisor at Verity Investment Partners with 13 years of industry experience. He has previously worked at Dividend Assets Capital, LLC and Blackwell Boyd Wealth Management. Outside of his advisory work, he is a 10% owner of PAW Properties, LLC, a real estate investment entity. Verity Investment Partners is a 12-advisor team managing approximately $1.4 billion in assets, serving individuals, retirement plans, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and businesses. The firm provides discretionary investment management, ongoing financial planning, and family office consulting, focusing on portfolios built around dividend-paying equities and fundamental and technical analysis.

Denise Moody is a financial advisor with First Command Advisory Services, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and 15 years of industry experience. She has been with First Command Advisory Services since 2015 and has worked with affiliated First Command entities since 2011. First Command Advisory Services is an SEC-registered investment adviser serving individuals, corporate, and charitable clients, with a focus on active-duty service members and their families. The firm offers financial planning and multiple wrap-fee asset management programs featuring model portfolios managed by a centralized Investment Management Team.

Joseph Costigan is a CFA® charterholder with 19 years of industry experience. He has worked at Apricus Wealth LLC since 2020 and previously spent six years with Verity & Verity, LLC dba Verity Investment Partners. Apricus Wealth is a registered investment adviser serving individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and business entities. The firm uses a tailored, discretionary investment process combining fundamental and technical analysis to construct portfolios aligned with client objectives and risk tolerance, and it emphasizes performance reporting supported by its technology infrastructure.

Scott Mahoney is a financial advisor with Morgan Stanley in New York, NY, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and bringing 34 years of industry experience. He has been with Morgan Stanley since 2009, including roles at Morgan Stanley Private Bank, N.A. Outside of his advisory work, he is involved with Giants Foot Cubed LLC. Morgan Stanley Wealth Management is a large SEC-registered investment adviser and broker-dealer that serves both individual and institutional clients. The firm offers a wide range of advisory programs and financial planning services supported by structured planning tools and broad investment resources.

Kayla Santos is a financial advisor with Mass Mutual Investors Services in Warwick, RI, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and having 10 years of industry experience. She has worked at Mass Mutual Investors Services since 2017 and previously at MetLife Securities. In addition to her advisory role, Santos is an independent insurance agent, offering life, fixed annuities, disability, long-term care, and health insurance products. Mass Mutual Investors Services, LLC is a broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser that serves individuals, business owners, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and employers. The firm provides financial planning, asset management, wrap and money-manager programs, and educational seminars, structuring engagements as annual collaborative relationships focused on goal analysis and written recommendations.

Gordon Brown III is a financial advisor at Edward Jones with 18 years of industry experience. He holds the Series 66 designation and has been with Edward Jones since 2008. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving over four million individual and institutional clients, with approximately $1.01 trillion in assets under management. The firm offers a range of advisory programs and investment options, operating under a fiduciary standard.

William Soltow is a financial advisor at Smith & Wyatt with 13 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and previously worked at CoreCap Advisors, LLC. Outside of advising, he is the founder of Frontier Wealth Management and serves as an independent insurance agent with Goosehead Insurance. Smith & Wyatt serves individuals, including high-net-worth clients, and corporations, managing approximately $207 million across 724 clients. The firm provides tailored financial planning, discretionary portfolio management, estate-planning consulting, and specialized educational programs, utilizing mutual funds and ETFs as primary investment vehicles.

Thaddeus Phelps is a CFP® professional with 28 years of experience in the financial services industry. He has worked at Advance Wealth Management Service, LLC since 2019 and previously spent 14 years with Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc. In addition to his advisory work, Phelps owns a tax preparation business and an accounting support service, and he serves in fiduciary roles such as trustee and executor. Advance Wealth Management Service, LLC provides investment advisory and financial planning services primarily to individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, estates, and business entities. The firm offers discretionary investment management through a wrap asset management program and emphasizes an individualized approach with asset allocation supported by fundamental, sector, and technical analysis, including risk management strategies such as put options and conservative cash instruments.

Scott Mahoney is a financial advisor with Morgan Stanley in New York, NY, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and bringing 34 years of industry experience. He has been with Morgan Stanley since 2009, including roles at Morgan Stanley Private Bank, N.A. Outside of his advisory work, he is involved with Giants Foot Cubed LLC. Morgan Stanley Wealth Management is a large SEC-registered investment adviser and broker-dealer that serves both individual and institutional clients. The firm offers a wide range of advisory programs and financial planning services supported by structured planning tools and broad investment resources.

Elizabeth Brown is a Series 66 licensed financial advisor with J.P. Morgan Securities in New York, NY, where she has worked since 2012. She has 26 years of industry experience. J.P. Morgan Securities provides institutional consulting services to clients such as corporations, foundations, and defined contribution plan sponsors, offering asset allocation advice, investment manager and fund searches, and customized performance reporting through a select group of Wealth Advisors. The firm combines large institutional advisory operations with brokerage, distribution, and investment management capabilities.

David Cade is a financial advisor with LPL Financial based in Houston, TX. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has 42 years of industry experience. Prior to joining LPL Financial in 2025, he worked at Next Financial Group, Inc. for 20 years and Raymond James Financial Services, Inc. for six years. LPL Financial is a national broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser that provides advisory and brokerage services to individuals, retirement plan participants, banks, trust companies, and other institutions. The firm offers a range of financial planning and portfolio management solutions, integrating proprietary research and third-party strategies.

Sarah Currier Barrella is a CFP® professional with 26 years of experience in financial advisory services. She currently works at Santander Securities LLC and Santander Bank, NA, having previously held positions at TD Bank and Citizens Securities, Inc. Barrella is based in Boston, MA. Santander Securities LLC serves a broad retail client base with approximately $3.14 billion in regulatory assets under management across 10,800 client relationships. The firm offers investment advisory services, portfolio management through wrap-fee programs, and financial planning, operating both as a registered investment adviser and a FINRA-registered broker-dealer.

Linda Postorivo is a financial advisor at BC Advisors, LLC with 43 years of industry experience. She holds a Series 63 designation and has worked with MAFG RIA Services, Inc. since 1994 and with Mid-Atlantic Companies since 1981. BC Advisors provides investment advisory and portfolio management services primarily to high-net-worth individuals, family trusts, pension and profit-sharing plans, and other institutional clients. The firm emphasizes non-discretionary investment recommendations grounded in fundamental analysis alongside technical and cyclical reviews, employing a variety of strategies including long-term, short-term, trading, options, and alternatives.